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FOR Cedar Vale’s Griffin Palin, 9, mornings usually mean an hour spent going through a gruelling medical routine rather than watching cartoons and chomping on cereal.

Griffin suffers from Cystic Fibrosis, a debilitating genetic lung condition that, for some, can mean a reduced life span and a constrained lifestyle. But Griffin does not see it that way.

He lives life to the full by engaging, and often excelling, in a wide range of sports and activities.

Most recently, he came 24th out of 100 runners at the Beaudesert district schools cross-country event which was held at Hills College at the end of May.

The local soccer team he plays in has been defeated just once in four years and he was the Emmaus college swimming age champion last year.

His parents Greg and Renee said they could not be prouder of their son, whose positive attitude about his condition is an inspiration to them.

Griffin starts each day by taking 10 tablets with breakfast before ventolin therapy, physiotherapy and a stint on a nebuliser machine.

By the end of each day he has taken 25 tablets and can expect two to three hospital admissions each year when dangerous chest infections take hold.

He even has an implant in his chest for ease of access to intravenous connections during his hospital stays.

Yet this involved and time consuming medical routine is a world apart from the rigorous sports training schedule the youngster has taken on.

On Tuesday and Thursday, he does more karate classes followed by soccer training with Jimboomba United.

On Saturday, he plays a soccer game and on Sunday, he goes for a 3km run with his mother Renee.

He also swims twice a week during the summer months.

Mother Renee said all of the cardio-vascular activity was a huge help to her son’s lungs and helped to keep him well.

“He knows he has to do all of that to help him say well but the best thing about it is that he loves it as well,” she said.

“It is probably not usual for someone with CF to be so active especially in terms of swimming and running but he just has to work that bit harder at it. What we are so proud of is that he does what he knows he has to to stay well but he is also so passionate about it.”

Dad Greg said his proudest moment was watching his son powering home during the recent district cross-country running competition.

“I wasn’t expecting him to be at the front of the field but when I looked up at them coming over the hill, there he was, it just blew me away,” he said.

Mrs Palin said all Griffin wants to do is get stronger and fitter and by all accounts, that is what he will do regardless of what challenges stand in his way.